Stretch stocking



June '18, 1957 c, FURR 2,795,944

STRETCH STOCKING Filed D90. 16, 1955 INVENTOR GROVER 6. FURR QBYWQW ATTORNEYS FIG. I.

United States Patent STRETCH STOCKING Grover C. Furr, Greensboro, N. C., assignor to Burlington Industries, Inc., Greensboro, N. C. a corporation of Delaware Application December 16, 1955, Serial No. 553,588

2 Claims. (Cl. 66-172) This invention relates to knitted fabrics, and in particular to stretch fabrics as exemplified by ladies fullfashioned hosiery.

A principal object of the invention is to provide stockings of full stretch characteristics, extending through the welt, after-welt, leg, heel and foot portions thereof, and optionally through the toe also.

Another object of the invention is to provide sheer stretch stockings of improved strength and durability particularly in the welt and after-welt portions thereof.

A further object is to provide stretch stockings of superior but simplified construction, and reduced cost.

Still other objects are to provide stretch stockings adapted for more efiicient manufacture on conventional full-fashioned knitting machines, permitting regular two carrier operation with reduction of yarn breakage and down time of the machines. Further objects will be in part evident and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention and the novel features thereof may best be made clear from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a face elevation of a full-fashioned stocking blank according to the invention, and

Figure 2 is a diagram on greatly enlarged scale, illustrating the welt and leg fabrics of the blank of Figure 1.

Stretch stockings are commonly knitted with alternating courses, or series of courses, of oppositely twisted nylon monofilament yarn. To attain a suitably sheer leg portion, yarn of 15 denier or comparably light weight is customarily used. Thus, the leg portion may be knitted with two successive courses of left hand twist 15 denier yarn, followed by two successive courses of right hand twist 15 denier yarn, then two more courses of left hand twist yarn, and so forth to obtain a balanced stretch stocking.

Although it is desirable to extend comparable stretch characteristics to the welt and toe portions of the stocking, to attain a full stretch stocking, l5 denier yarn or the like is obviously too light for use in these sections of major stress without reinforcement. It is known to reinforce the welt and after-welt portions by plying a 20 denier raw (untwisted) monofilament yarn with each course of 15 denier twist yarn in these sections of the stocking, and similar reinforcement has been utilized in the foot and heel portions also. The toe portion of the stocking may be reinforced in similar manner, or two ends of 20 denier raw yarn may be plied with each end of 15 denier twist yarn. Adequate reinforcement may be attained in this manner, and the reinforced sections exhibit limited stretch characteristics, due to the 15 denier twist yarns extending therethrough. This manner of reinforcement is expensive, however, and involves considerable yarn breakage, due to the light weights of the yarns used. Furthermore, since the 15 denier twist yarns extend throughout the stocking, it is impossible to tie on new cones thereof without stopping the machine.

In the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates a full-fashioned stocking blank constructed according to the present invention, including .a welt portion 12, after-welt 14, leg portion 16, foot and heel section 18, and toe 20. In accordance with the present invention, the welt 12 and after-welt 14 are knitted of twisted yarn of relatively heavy weight, about 40 denier being suitable and preferred. Using a conventional alternating attachment of the two lever type on a common full-fashioned knitted machine, such as the Textile Machine Works Reading Machine, the'welt 12 and after-welt 14 may be knitted with two successive courses of left hand twist 40 denier yarn, followed by two successive courses of right hand twist 40 denier yarn, .then two courses of left hand twist yarn and so on throughout this section of the stocking. Knitting in this fashion results ina strong and durable welt fabric exhibiting excellent stretch characteristics. Since the 15 denier or correspondingly light weight twist yarn to be used in the leg of the stocking is not knitted into the welt and after-welt, the operator may utilize this portion of the knitting cycle to tie on new cones of 15 denier yarn as necessary, thereby achieving an appreciable improvement in overall machine .efficiency. Furthermore, the heavy weight welt yarn rarely breaks, so that yarn breakage during this portion of the knitting cycle is virtually eliminated.

After completion of the after-welt, the 40 denier yarn carriers .are pulled out, and two carriers of 15 denier yarn (oppositely twisted) are locked in, and the knitting of the leg portion 16 of the stocking proceeds with alternating courses or series of courses of oppositely twisted light weight yarn in the manner previously described. That is, the leg portion may be knitted, for example, with two successive courses of 15 denier yarn twisted in one direction, followed by two successive courses of 15 denier yarn twisted in the opposite direction, then two courses twisted in the first direction, etc. The resulting sheer leg portion of the stocking exhibits stretch characteristics corresponding substantially to those of the novel welt fabric.

The heel and foot section 18 of the stocking may be knitted in the same manner with the 15 denier twist yarns, and reinforced in the side areas 22 as previously indicated, by utilizing 2O denier raw yarns and running these yarns part of the way in from each side. In the areas 22, then, each end of 15 denier twist yarn is reinforced with an end of 20 denier untwisted yarn. The 15 denier twist yarns may extend also through the toe 20, and for reinforcement the 20 denier raw yarn carriers may remain locked in. By simply raising the splice stops of the 20 denier carriers, each course of the toe 20 may then include an end of 15 denier twist yarn and two ends of 20 denier raw yarn. In this way a toe of suitable strength is attained, which still exhibits some stretch characteristics.

Alternatively, and as a further feature of the present invention, the toe 20 may be knitted in the manner of the welt, using oppositely twisted 40 denier yarns. That is, at the beginning of the toe the 15 denier and 20 denier yarn carriers may be pulled out, and the 40 denier twist yarn carriers again locked in, and the toe 20 may be knitted precisely in the manner of the welt fabric. The resulting toe not only has suitable strength without reinforcement, but exhibits stretch characteristics comparable to the rest of the stocking. The advantages of knitting with the 40 denier twist yarns noted in connection with the welt fabric apply also in the knitting of the toe, and a stocking of full and even stretch throughout its length results.

An improved yarn carrier rod alternating attachment adapted for knitting the stocking of the present invention on conventional full-fashioned knitting machines with speed and etficiency is disclosed in the copending application of Deaton and Bingenheirner, Serial No. 553,587,

filed December 16, 1955, in which application the preferred method of operation is also described in detail.

The construction of the stocking of the present in- I vention is illustrated in Figure 2, wherein the upper portion thereof corresponds to the welt fabric. As there shown, the welt fabric may be knitted with two successive courses of 40 denier yarn A, having for example a left hand twist, followed by two successive courses of 40 denier yarn B, having a similar but opposite, or right hand, twist. The last mentioned courses are followed by two successive courses of yarn A, and the alternation of courses, or series of courses, proceeds throughout the welt and after-welt.

The lower portion of Figure 2 illustrates the construction of the leg portion of the stocking, comprising pref erably two successive courses of 15 denier yarn C twisted in one direction, followed by two successive courses of 15 denier yarn D similarly twisted in the opposite direction, the alternation continuing as previously described.

The stocking of the present invention may be knitted according to conventional two carrier operational practice, partly utilizing heavier, and less expensive yarn. This circumstance, accompanied by the improved operational efiiciencies indicated above, results in lower cost. The improved stocking is superior to prior articles in strength in critical areas, and exhibits unique full stretch characteristics, extending evenly throughout the length thereof. As will be evident, the invention may be embodied in seamless stretch hosiery, produced on circular knitting machines. As used in the appended claims, the term alternating courses is inclusive of alternate courses and alternate series of courses.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided by this invention an article in which the various objects hereinbefore set forth, together with many practical advantages, are successfully achieved. As various possible 4 embodiments may be made of the novel features of the above invention, all without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A stretch stocking including a welt portion consisting of alternating courses of oppositely twisted nylon yarn of substantially 4O denier, a leg portion consisting of alternating courses of oppositely twisted nylon yarn of substantially 15 denier, said alternating courses of oppositely twisted nylon of substantially l5 denier continuing through the heel and foot portions of the stocking, said heel and foot portions being reinforced with substantially 20 denier yarn and a toe consisting of alternating courses of oppositely twisted nylon yarn of substantially denier.

2. A stretch stocking including a welt portion consisting of alternating courses of oppositely twisted nylon yarn of substantially 40 denier, a leg portion consisting of alternating courses of oppositely twisted nylon yarn of substantially 15 denier, said alternating courses of oppositely twisted nylon of substantially 15 denier continuing through the heel and foot portions of the stocking, and a toe consisting of alternating courses of oppositely twisted nylon yarn of substantially 40 denier.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,097,763 Hemmerich Nov. 2, 1937 2,349,357 Largman May 23, 1944 2,699,056 Margulies Jan. 11, 1955 2,711,627 Leath et al June 28, 1955 2,736,945 Burleson et al. Mar. 6, 1956 2,771,757 Burleson et al Nov. 27, 1956 

